Display case



g 4,- I I E. L. STULTZ 2,049,594 I DISPLAY CASE Filed Feb. 10, 1956 o I v I I ATTCBRNEY Patented Aug. 4, 1936 DISPLAY CASE Ernest L. Stultz, Kansas City, Mo., assignor to Viking Refrigerators, Inc, Kansas City, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application February 10, 1936, Serial No. 63,092

' of the refrigerator compartment.

4 Claims.

This invention relates to display cases and particularly refrigerator display or like cabinets, wherein merchandise, for example, meats, are displayed at two or more levels, the upper displays being carried on shelves projecting from the rear wall of the case and of less width in order to allow as much view of the lower display as possible. The relative relation of the display shelves is, therefore, more or less fixed and it is necessary for the merchant to arrange the merchandise according to the shelves. For this reason it is difiicult to obtain the best display effects, particularly when it is desired to accentuate certain articles of merchandise, such as the days specials.

It is, therefore, the principal object of the present invention to provide a case of this character with a shelf arrangement that is adaptable to the desired display.

Further objects of the present invention are to provide an adjustable refrigerator display shelf which may be moved into and out of various positions to provide easier access to merchandise on display and to the shelf when mechandise is to be placed on display; and to provide a shelf adjustably positioned at an angle in the cabinet for making possible a view of greater portions of the articles on display.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred form of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. l is a vertical elevational cross section through the upper portion of a refrigerator display cabinet equipped with an adjustable shelf embodying the features of my invention, the shelf being'shown in partly extended condition.

Fig. 2 is a detail fragmentary perspective view of the shelf, showing the relation of the shelf bracket to the rear wall of the cabinet.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail perspective view of my improved adjustable shelf, the parts thereof being shown in disassembled relation. 7

Fig. 4 is a detail cross section on the line 4-4, Fig. 1, particularly showing the channel and rib supporting one end of the shelf.

Referring more in detail to the drawing:

I designates an adjustable shelf embodying the features of the present invention, shown and mounted in a conventional refrigerator cabinet having the customary display case bottom 3 provided with a suitable drain pipe 4,a top 5, a'plu rality of transparent insulating panels forming the front wall 6, and a rear wall I having conventional door openings 8 for access to the interior The refrigerator cabinet may also be provided with outside shelves 9 and I suitably secured to the rear wall, and cabinet illuminating means I! on the front Wall. Located in the refrigerator cabinet is an overhead refrigerating coil housing l2 spaced above a drip pan l3 having a drain pipe M.

The bottom 3 of the display cabinet is provided with vertically extending front and rear wall base portions l5 and E5, the portion [5 being of greater height than the front portion l5.

In addition to supporting the front and. rear Walls, the base portions are provided with av bar I 6 fixed to the front base portion l 5, and an off set angle member ll fixed to the rear wall base portion l5, which is spaced above the cross bar relative to the horizontal bottom for respectively supporting the upturned forward end i8pand flat rear end IQ of a removable bottom shelf 20, in such manner that the shelf is. positioned at an angle to present merchandise on display to the view of a purchaser in a'more complete fashion. The door openings 8 in the rear wall I of the refrigerator cabinet are provided with suitable doors 24 and 25, for access to the interior of the cabinet, which in this instance are of the sliding, overlapping type comprising a plurality of transparent insulating panels 26.

Between the respective door openings of the cabinet and bounding the side edges thereof are sills 21 which extend upwardly in the plane of the rear wall I and it is to the sills 2lthat the adjustable shelf l,-embodying the principal features of my invention, is secured.

' The adjustable shelf l includes brackets '28 and a rack or shelf proper 29, the brackets having downwardly extending legs 30 fixed to the respective sills 21 in the rear wall as by the screws 3!, and arms 32 projecting toward the front panels of the cabinet in spaced and substantially parallel relation to the bottom shelf to and drip pan E3 in such a manner that ample merchandise space is provided on the bottom shelf'and sufficient space is provided for smaller articles of merchandise when carried by the shelf 29 after of merchandise on display, adequate strengthbe ing provided for the brackets by the web portions 33 formed integrally with the bracketsand-extending from the lower faces of the arms 32 and forward faces of the legs 30.

The central portion of the upper face of'one 34 provided with spaced threaded holes 35 and parallel slideways 36 and 37 at the sides thereof to provide tracks for the downwardly projecting edges 38 and 39 of a shelf supporting channel member having a central web portion 40 of substantially the width of the rib 34, the edges 38 and 39 being adapted for normal sliding engagement with the slideways.

The web 40 of the channel member is provided with spaced holes 4|, preferably three in number, the middle hole being selectively alignable with the holes 35 in the rib, when the channel is slid relative to the rib, for receiving a screw 42 adapted for threaded extension through the aligned holes to hold the channel in desired po sition relative to the front and rear walls of the cabinet.

The spaced outer holes in the web 40 are for the purpose of receiving screws 43 which are threaded into holes at the outer ends of the base portions 44 and 45 of transverse angles 46 and 41 to secure the angles to the webs 40, which in turn are secured to the outwardly projecting arms of the rear wall brackets. A suitable wire platform 48 may be provided having its side edges 49 resting on the base portions of the angles, the platform serving as a base or shelf for the placement of articles of merchandise to be displayed.

In installing a display shelf constructed as described, and assuming that the refrigerator cabinet is. empty, the middle screw 42 of the framework comprising the angles and channels is removed from the aligned holes in the channels and bracket ribs, and the framework is slid forwardly on the tracks formed at either side of the ribs. The screw is then reinserted in newly aligned holes, this time at the forward end of the arms and ample space is thereby provided at the rear of the cabinet to fill the bottom cabinet tray with relatively large articles which may be positioned attractively according to the wishes of the merchant. The setting screws 42 may again be removed and the tray or shelf slid to a position best suited for the lower display. For example, if thelower display consists of relatively large articles, the upper display shelf I may he slid closer to the front wall of the case without obscuring the articles in the lower display. When articles areto be accentuated on the upper shelf, it is desirable that the shelf be located as near the front wall as possible, and when these goods are to be more in the background the shelf may be moved closer to the back wall.

After the position of the shelf I has been determined, the screws 42 may be inserted in one ofthe openings 4| and in registering openings 35 of the bracket arms to retain the shelf in position.

It is thus obvious that the shelf is readily adjustable to the position at which the goods are shown to the best advantage, and that the goods do not have to be arranged in the case accordin to the position of the shelf, but the shelf is positioned to suit the requirements of the display.

A merchant is, therefore, enabled to display his merchandise in a more attractive manner and can locate articles which he desires to stress as specials so that they are in the most prominent position relatively to other articles on display.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a display case having a rear wall and a transparent front wallfor disclosing merchandise on display in the case, means for supporting merchandise at one level within the case and means for supporting merchandise at an upper level in the case including brackets secured to the rear wall of the case and having arms inclined downwardly toward the direction of said front wall but terminating short thereof so as not to obscure the merchandise at said lower level, a shelf substantially corresponding in depth to the length of the arms, cooperative guide means on the arms and shelf respectively, and means for rigidly anchoring the guide means on the shelf in selective relation to the arms of the brackets for supporting the forward portion of said shelf in selected projecting position relatively to the display at said lower level.

2. In a display case having a rear wall and a transparent front wall for disclosing merchandise on display in the case, means for supporting merchandise at one level within the case and means for supporting merchandise at an upper level in the case including brackets secured to the rear wall of the case and having arms inclined downwardly toward the direction of the transparent front wall but terminating short thereof so as not to obscure the merchandise at said lower level, a shelf corresponding in depth to the length of the-arms, cooperative guide means on the arms and shelf respectively and having alignable apertures therein, and fastening devices adapted to be extended through selected apertures for rigidly anchoring the guide means on the shelf to the arms of the bracketsto support the forward portion of said shelf in selected projecting position relatively to the display at said lower level.

3. In a display case having a rear wall and a transparent front wall for disclosing merchandise on dlsplay'in the case, means for supporting merchandise at one level within the case and means for supporting merchandise at an upper level in the case including brackets secured to the rear wall of the case and having arms inclined downwardly toward: the direction of the transparent front wall but terminating short thereof so as to not obscure the merchandise at said lower level, a shelfsubstantially corresponding in depth to the length of the arms, rib and channel guide members respectively formed as permanent parts of the shelf and bracket arms, and fastening devices extending through. said guide members for anchoringthe shelf withthe forward edge of said shelf in selected projecting position relatively to said lower display.

4; Ina display case having a rear wall and. a transparent front wall for disclosing merchandise on display in the case, means for supporting merchandise atlone level within the case and means for supporting-merchandise at an upper level in the'case including brackets secured to the rear wall of the case and having arms inclined downwardly toward the direction of the transparent front wallbut terminating short thereof so' as to not obscure the merchandise at said lower level, a shelf including front and rear angle bars connected: by inverted channel shaped cross bars aligning with the arms of said brackets, guide ribs on the arms of the brackets engaged in said channel shaped bars, said channel shaped bars and arms having apertures, and fastening devices extending through selected apertures for rigidly anchoring the shelf with its forward edge in selected projecting position relatively to said lower display.

, ERNEST L. STUL'IZ. 

